This invention relates to a process for making certain phenyl urea compounds. The end-product phenyl urea compounds are useful in treating IL-8, GROxcex1, GROGxcex2, GROxcex3 and NAP-2 mediated diseases.
Interleukin-8 is a chemoattractant for neutrophils, basophils, and a subset of T-cells. It is produced by a majority of nucleated cells including macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial and epithelial cells exposed to TNF, IL-1a, IL-1b or LPS, and by neutrophils themselves when exposed to LPS or chemotactic factors such as FMLP. M. Baggiolini et al, J. Clin. Invest. 84, 1045 (1989); J. Schroder et al, J. Immunol. 139, 3474 (1987) and J. Immunol. 144, 2223 (1990); Strieter, et al, Science 243, 1467 (1989) and J. Biol. Chem. 264, 10621 (1989); Cassatella et al, J. Immunol. 148, 3216 (1992).
There is a need for treatment in this field, for compounds which are capable of binding to the IL-8 xcex1 or xcex2 receptor. Therefore, conditions associated with an increase in IL-8 production (which is responsible for chemotaxis of neutrophil and T-cells subsets into the inflammatory site) would benefit by compounds which are inhibitors of IL-8 receptor binding. Such compounds have been disclosed in published patent applications exemplified by the likes of PCT/US96/13632) published Aug. 21, 1997 as WIPO No. WO97/29743.
Specifically this invention provides a method for synthesising N-[2-hydroxy-4-cyanophenyl]-Nxe2x80x2-[2-bromophenyl]urea, a compound disclosed in PCT application serial number PCT/US96/13632, published Aug. 21, 1997 an WIPO No. WO97/29743 and related compounds.
In a first aspect this invention covers a process for making a compound of Formula 
wherein
X is oxygen;
R is any functional moiety having an ionizable hydrogen and a pKa of 10 or less.
R1 is independently selected from hydrogen; halogen; nitro; cyano; C1-10 alkyl; halosubstituted C1-10 alkyl; C2-10 alkenyl; C1-10 alkoxy; halosubstituted C1-10alkoxy; azide; S(O)tR4; (CR8R8)q S(O)tR4; hydroxy; hydroxy substituted C1-4alkyl; aryl; aryl C1-4 alkyl; aryl C2-10 alkenyl; aryloxy; aryl C1-4 alkyloxy; heteroaryl; heteroarylalkyl; heteroaryl C2-10 alkenyl; heteroaryl C1-4 alkyloxy; heterocyclic, heterocyclic C1-4alkyl; heterocyclicC1-4alkyloxy; heterocyclicC2-10 alkenyl; (CR8R8)q NR4R5; (CR8R8)q C(O)NR4R5; C2-10 alkenyl C(O)NR4R5; (CR8R8)q C(O)NR4R10; S(O)3H; S(O)3R8; (CR8R8)q C(O)R11; C1-10 alkenyl C(O)R11: C2-10 alkenyl C(O)OR11; (CR8R8)q C(O)OR11; (CR8R8)q OC(O)R11; (CR8R8)qNR4C(O)R11; (CR8R8)q C(NR4)NR4R5; (CR8R8)q NR4C(NR5)R11, (CR8R8)q S(O)2NR4R5, or two R1 moieties together may form a 5 to 6 membered unsaturated ring, and wherein the alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic moities may be optionally substituted;
q is 0 or an integer having a value of 1 to 10;
t is 0 or an integer having a value of 1 or 2;
s is an integer having a value of 1 to 3;
R4 and R5 are independently, optionally substituted C1-4 alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryl C1-4alkyl, optional v substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl C1-4alkyl, heterocyclic, heterocyclic C1-4 alkyl, or R4 and R5 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a 5 to 7 member ring which may optionally comprise an additional heteroatom selected from O, N or S;
Y is R1;
q is 0 or an integer having a value of 1 to 10;
m is an integer having a value of 1 to 3;
R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen or a C1-4 alkyl group, or R6 and R7 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a 5 to 7 member ring which ring, may optionally contain an additional heteroatom which heteroatom is selected from oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur;
R8 is hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl;
R10 is C1-10 alkyl C(O)2R8;
R11 is hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-4 alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryl C1-4alkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylC1-4alkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclic, or optionally substituted heterocyclicC1-4alkyl,
R12 is hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted arylalkyl;
R13 is suitably C1-4 alkyl, aryl, aryl C1-4alkyl heteroaryl, heteroarylC1-4alkyl, heterocyclic, or heterocyclicC1-4alkyl;
Rb is NR6R7, alkyl, aryl, aryl C1-4 alkyl, aryl C2-4 alkenyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl C1-4 alkyl, heteroarylC2-4 alkenyl, heterocyclic, heterocyclic C1-4 alkyl, heterocyclic C2-4 alkenyl, or camphor, all of which groups may be optionally substituted;
wherein said process comprises reacting a compound of Formula (A) 
where R1 is the same as defined in Formula I with a nucleophile illustrated by the amine of Formula (B) 
where Y is the same as defined above in the presence of a Lewis acid to open the oxazolinone ring of Formula (A) to form the urea of Formula (I).
In a second aspect, this invention relates to a process for making a compound of Formula (I) as described above wherein the process comprises treating a benzoxazolinone of Formula (D) 
with a halogen in the presence of an acid to form a compound of Formula (C); 
then treating Formula C with CuCN to form a compound of Formula (A1), and 
reacting Formula A1 with a nucleophile illustrated by Formula (B) 
where Y is the same as defined in Formula I in the presence of a Lewis acid to open the oxazolinone ring of Formula (A) and form the compound of Formula (I) where R is OH and R1 is CN.
The preferred compounds which can be synthesised by these methods and using these inter mediates are those where R1 is halogen, cyano, nitro, CF3, C(O)NR4R5, alkenyl C(O)NR4R5, C(O) R4R10, alkenyl C(O)OR12, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryl alkenyl, or S(O)NR4R5, and preferably one of R4 or R5 is phenyl. A preferred ring substitution for R1 is in the 4-position of the phenyl ring.
Preferably R1 is nitro, halogen, cyano, trifluoromethyl group, or C(O)NR4R5.
Y is preferably a halogen, C1-4 alkoxy, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted arylalkyloxy, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyloxy, methylenedioxy, NR4R5. thioC1-4alkyl, thioaryl halosubstituted alkoxy, optionally substituted C1-4 alkyl, or hydroxy alkyl, Y is more preferably mono-substituted halogen, disubstituted halogen, mono-substituted alkoxy, disubstituted alkoxy, methylenedioxy, aryl, or alkyl, more preferably these groups are mono or di-substituted in the 2xe2x80x2-position or 2xe2x80x2-, 31-position. 25 While Y may be substituted in any of the 5 ring positions, preferably when R is OH, or SH, Y is preferably mono-substituted in the 2xe2x80x2-position or 3xe2x80x2-position, with the 4xe2x80x2-preferably being unsubstituted. If the ring is disubstituted, when R is OH or SH substituents are preferably in the 2xe2x80x2 or 3xe2x80x2 position of a monocyclic ring. While both R1 and Y can both be hydrogen, it is prefered that at least one of the rings be substituted, preferably both rings are substituted.
Preferred compounds include:
N-[2-hydroxy-4-cyanophenyl]-Nxe2x80x2-[2-bromophenyl] urea
N-[2-hydroxy-4-cyanophenyl]-Nxe2x80x2-[2,3-dichlorophenyl] urea
N-(2-hydroxy-4-cyanophenyl)-Nxe2x80x2-(2-(4-pyridylmethyloxy)phenyl)urea, and
N-(2-hydroxy-4-cyanophenyl)-Nxe2x80x2-(2-chlorophenyl)urea.
Reaction Scheme 1 details in graphical form the process and representative intermediates which are the subject of this invention. 
The benzoxazolinone starting material is commercially available (formula 1-1). See for example Aldrich. It is halogenated (formula 1-2) by mixing it with a solution of an organic acid and a the alkali metal salt of that acid in a molar amount about equal to that of the benzoxazolinone and treating that mixture or solution with the halogen. Glacial acetic acid and its sodium salt are the preferred organic acid/salt combination. In the case of the illustrated benzoxazolinone, a suspension forms. That suspension is cooled to below ambient temperature, somewhere between 0-20xc2x0 C. and then bromine is added slowly; a slight molar excess of bromine with reference to the benzoxazolinone is preferred. This mixture is stirred at ambient temperature for a period sufficient to effect the reaction, usually about 12 hours to overnight. No special conditions are required to work up the halogenated product.
The nitrile of formula 1-3 is prepared by treating the halogenated benzoxazolinone with CuCN at a moderately elevated temperature under an inert gas in a polar solvent such as dimethyl formamide, N-methyl pyrrolidinone or dimethyl sulfoxide. As illustrated herein, the benzoxazolinone is added to the solvent followed by the CuCN (in about a 75% molar excess). This mixture is heated to a temperature which is in the range of 120-175xc2x0 C. The reaction is carried out under an inert gas, preferably nitrogen. The reaction mixture is heated to the noted temperature range for about 4-8 hours. Then the reaction is cooled to about 100xc2x0 C. a 3 to 4-fold molar excess of NaCN is added, and the resulting suspension is stirred for a couple of more hours at ambient temperature. No special workup is required to recover the nitrile.
The urea (formula 1-4) is made by treating the benzoxazolinone with an amine in the presence of a Lewis acid. Exemplary Lewis acids include Ti, Al or Sn (TiCl4, tributyltin chloride, and diethylaluminum). The nitrile of Formula A or A1 is added to a mixture of the salt of the amine and a Lewis acid in a non-polar solvent; 2-bromoaniline is illustrated in Scheme 1. About a 5-7 molar excess of the amine is used and about 2-3 molar excess of the Lew is acid is used. This mixture is refluxed for several hours, for example 5-6 hours. Isolating the product involves cooling the reaction mixture to about 0xc2x0 C., partitioning with aqueous mineral acid/organic solvent and filtering the organic layer through SiO2.